The present invention relates to rotary recording medium reproducing apparatuses capable of placing and leaving a rotary recording medium in a state possible for reproduction within the rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus when a jacket (disc case) having a lid for accommodating the rotary recording medium therein is inserted into and then pulled out from within the rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus, and also capable of incasing the rotary recording medium within the jacket so that the rotary recording medium can be obtained outside the rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus together with the jacket, when the empty jacket is inserted into and then pulled out from within the reproducing apparatus. The present invention further and especially relates to the above type of a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus constructed to limit the movement of the inner mechanisms upon transportation of the reproducing apparatus, by using a part of a lower clamping member of rotary recording medium clamping means.
Conventionally, in an apparatus for reproducing a rotary recording medium (referring to video disc, PCM audio disc, and the like, and hereinafter simply referred to as a disc), there are types of apparatuses in which a disc is reproduced when the disc is loaded upon holding and placing of the disc within the reproducing apparatus, by inserting into and then pulling out a disc case which has a lid and accommodates a disc therein, from within the reproducing apparatus.
As a conventional apparatus of this type, a reproducing apparatus was proposed in a United States patent application Ser. No. 231,868 filed Feb. 5, 1981, entitled "DISC-SHAPED RECORDING MEDIUM REPRODUCING APPARATUS" in which the assignee is the same as that of the present application. This previously proposed reproducing apparatus operates together with a disc case comprising a jacket which has a space for accommodating a disc and an opening for allowing the disc to go in and out of the jacket, and a lid member inserted through the opening of the jacket for closing the opening of the jacket, where the reproducing apparatus comprises an inserting opening through which the case is inserted, a turntable for rotating the disc, disc clamping means for clamping the disc provided at an innermost part on the opposite side from the inserting opening with respect to the turntable, lowering and raising means for lowering the disc to a position where the disc is placed on the turntable from a clamping position where the disc is clamped by the clamping means upon starting of the reproduction and raising the disc to the clamping position from the turntable upon finishing or discontinuing of the reproduction, a reproducing transducer for reproducing and disc placed on the turntable, and moving means for moving the reproducing transducer from a waiting position to a reproducing position with respect to the disc.
In the above proposed reproducing apparatus, in relation to the above disc clamping means, an operating mechanism which is pushed and displaced by the case upon insertion of the case into the reproducing apparatus, for operating the clamping means, and a locking mechanism for locking the above operating mechanism at a final displaced position, are further provided in addition to the above described mechanisms.
In a case where an external shock is applied to the above proposed reproducing apparatus upon transportation of the reproducing apparatus, the parts which are easily displaced are the reproducing transducer and the operating mechanism. The above operating mechanism in particular, is restricted of the position by a spring and a stopper. However, the above spring is forcibly stretched upon insertion of the case into the reproducing apparatus, and the spring force exerted by the spring is set to a small value so that the case inserting operation can be performed by use of a small force. Therefore, although the above operating mechanism is restricted of the position by the spring, the operating mechanism can easily be displaced due to external shock.
When the position of the reproducing transducer is shifted towards the side of the turntable due to the external shock, it becomes impossible to perform a disc loading operation. Moreover, with respect to the operating mechanism, the operating mechanism becomes locked unnecessarily by the above locking mechanism in a case where the operating mechanism is greatly displaced unto the final displaced position. When the operating mechanism becomes locked by the locking mechanism, it becomes impossible to perform the disc loading operation. In a case where the above described state is introduced, a correcting operation must be performed by disassembling the top plate of the reproducing apparatus to correct the states of the inner mechanisms into the correct states. This correcting operation is troublesome to perform, and requires the service of a repairman.
Accordingly, in the above described reproducing apparatus, as a countermeasure against external shock, locking screws were used to rigidly restrict the positions of the reproducing transducer and the operating mechanism at predetermined positions. The above locking screw for locking the reproducing transducer is provided on the upper surface of the reproducing apparatus where it is visible, and accordingly, the locking screw can surely be removed when the reproducing apparatus is operated. However, the locking screw for stabilizing the operating mechanism is provided at the rear surface side of the reproducing apparatus where it does not stand out. Hence, the operator may forget to remove the locking screw for the operating mechanism before the reproducing apparatus is operated. When the above locking screw for the operating mechanism is not removed, the operating mechanism does not operate and the disc cannot be loaded into the reproducing apparatus. Therefore, in this state, there was a problem in that the operator may mistake the reproducing apparatus as an inferior apparatus.
In addition, the above two locking screws must be used to stabilize the reproducing transducer and the operating mechanism, when the reproducing apparatus is to be transported to another place by an automobile and the like. In this case, the user may forget to stabilize the operating mechanism by the above locking screw. When the reproducing apparatus is transported in a state where the locking screw for the operating mechanism is removed, there was a problem in that the operating mechanism may become locked by the locking mechanism as described above.
Furthermore, there was another problem in that when the reproducing apparatus falls down on the floor from a placing table from the resting state, the above locking mechanism may operate to lock the above locking screw for the operating mechanism.